Modern Bureaucracy Part 2 PDF

Independent Executive Agencies Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have a narrower area of responsibility and are not part of any Cabinet department. intro after: Examples of it is CIA - Central Intelligence Agency Gener...

Independent Executive Agencies Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have a narrower area of responsibility and are not part of any Cabinet department. intro after: Examples of it is CIA - Central Intelligence Agency Generally speaking, independent agencies perform service rather than regulatory functions. The heads of these agencies are appointed by the president and serve, like Cabinet secretaries, at his pleasure. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 1 of 7  NASA Such positioning, however, could have conjured up thoughts of a space program dedicated solely to military purposes, rather than to civilian satellite communication or scientific exploration. intro Independent agencies exist apart from executive departments for practical or symbolic reasons. For example, lets talk about NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) It could have been placed within the Department of Defense. If we put NASA under department of defense, what do you think will the people think about the purpose of NASA? after: G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 2 of 7  Environmental Protection Agency EPA was created in 1970 to administer federal programs aimed at controlling pollution and protecting the nation’s environment. intro after: It administers all congressional laws concerning the environment and pollution. Along with the Council on Environmental Quality, a staff agency in the Executive Office of the President, the EPA advises the president on environmental concerns, and its head is considered a member of the president’s Cabinet. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 3 of 7  Environmental Protection Agency It also administers programs transferred to it with personnel detailed from the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and Health and Human Services, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, among other agencies intro after: You can see here the relationship between department and agencies. The expanding national focus on the environment, in fact, has brought about numerous calls to elevate the EPA to Cabinet-level status to reinforce a long-term national commitment to improved air and water and other environmental issues. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 4 of 7  Independent Regulatory Commissions Independent regulatory commissions are agencies created by Congress to exist outside the major departments to regulate a specific economic activity or interest. intro after: Because of the complexity of modern economic issues, Congress sought to create agencies that could develop expertise and provide continuity of policy with respect to economic issues because neither Congress nor the courts have the time or specific talents to do so. Examples include the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 5 of 7  Independent Regulatory Commissions Each is headed by a board composed of five to seven members who are selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate for fixed, staggered terms to increase the chances of a bipartisan board. intro Most were created specifically to be free from partisan political pressure. after: seven members (always an odd number, to avoid tie votes) Unlike executive department heads, they cannot easily be removed by the president. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 6 of 7  Independent Regulatory Commissions The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for example, promotes job safety. These boards and commissions often lack autonomy and freedom from political pressures intro Newer regulatory boards are more concerned with how the business sector relates to public health and safety. after: they are generally headed by a single administrator who can be removed by the president. Thus, they are far more susceptible to the political wishes of the president who appoints them. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 7 of 7